Scott Moser wrote:

>      The second thing is, even if colonies do not show signs of (AFB)
> infection,
> should the equipment be periodically irradiated, or would this be a waste of
> money? Thanks all.

As George Imirie has replied to another post along these same lines, I gather
that the incidence of AFB in the US is very low.  Therefore, it just seems
unnecessary to go through all the bother getting equipment irradiated.  Why not
just inspect your colonies and equipment yourself and burn the contaminated
stuff?  In an operation of 100 colonies that would be about 1 or 2 colonies a
year.  (I haven't had any in my operation for at least five years now.)  AFB is
one of the easiest diseases to detect and the treated equipment would always
remain suspect anyhow (at least it would for me).  Burning the equipment of so
few hives would surely be cheaper and easier than transporting and irradiating
the whole lot.

Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA